It's Just a Book
by JinxedClarinet
Summary: Shortly after leaving the Hive Five, Jinx steals a book, much to the dismay of Kid Flash.
1. Chapter 1

"So now what am I supposed to do?" Jinx mumbled to herself the day after she'd walked away from the Hive Five.

She'd just left; she had absolutely nothing and nowhere to go. Looking back on it now, it didn't seem like it was one of her better decisions. Stupid Kid Flash had stopped showing his face as well, so no help from him.

She considered robbing as bank, and then she'd at least have some money. It would be a onetime deal, she would get all the money she would need and then start changing her life. She really couldn't start to change her life if she had nothing.

So she started on her way to the nearest bank, one that she had robbed about 20 times already (only four times successfully). However, on her way, she got distracted by a book store. Usually, she could resist the temptation that book stores gave her; she didn't like stealing books, she used the library.

This time, though, she couldn't resist. The last book in her favorite series sat in the store window, just waiting to be read. She didn't know how she could have missed the fact that the book came out, she usually kept track of that kind of thing.

It didn't take much; it was just a matter of hexing the window and grabbing the book.

She hesitated, but then smashed the window with a powerful hex, snatched the book and ran.


	2. Chapter 2

In Titans Tower, an alarm was sounding. Someone had just robbed the bookstore, taking only one book.

Robin was not in the mood for this, it didn't even seem like that big of a deal. So somebody stole a book, it was probably only a fifteen dollar loss for the store. No real villain ever took just one thing; it was probably just some desperate teenager.

Just the same, usually the titans weren't alarmed unless the criminal actually had powers, so it seemed that they would all have to leave the tower to go after one book.

Robin assembled the titans and they headed downtown towards the bookstore which was ironically just across from the city bank.

"You'd have thought our thief would have gone for that instead." Cyborg said as he gestured toward the bank.

There was no one around in the area that would fit the description of "criminal." The window to the bookstore was smashed and the display case that had once held the book was empty.

"Split up," said Robin, "we'll find out who did this."


	3. Chapter 3

Jinx ran faster than she ever had before. She couldn't get caught, not now, not after all that she'd done. She felt stupid holding the book. It was just a dumb book, why had she felt she needed it so much? Why couldn't her criminal impulses just take a break?

She suddenly stopped, turned a sharp corner and hid behind a dumpster in a grimy alley. At this point, she could just hope that no one came her way, if no one noticed her, her small crime would soon be forgotten and she would be free to go about her own way.

…

Beastboy had turned himself into a basset hound and was trying to pick up the scent of the thief.

There! It was a girl that was for sure, he could smell it.

He changed back into himself and informed the team, "Hey, just thought you guys should know, we're looking for a girl."

"Hmm, perhaps then it could be my sister Blackfire has somehow returned." Starfire looked concerned; she was not prepared for another encounter with her villainous sister.

"I don't think that's it Star," Cyborg patted her on the shoulder, "she was taken by authorities, she probably won't be back for a long time."

"It must be someone else, then. Maybe Jinx?" Beastboy noticed Cyborg cringe slightly when he heard her name and made a note to ask him about it later.

"No, she works with the Hive Five, she's never alone," said Raven.

"Don't worry," Robin assured his team, "whoever it is, we'll find them and we'll stop them."

"Gosh Robin, it's just a book, it's not that big of a deal."


	4. Chapter 4

Jinx's heart was pounding. She wished she was still running. Now that she had hidden herself, she felt helpless. She couldn't move now, any pursuer would be too close.

She felt cornered, if someone found her, she'd be done for. She found herself wishing that A: she had found a better place and B: that she hadn't even stolen the book in the first place.

…

Using his animal senses, Beastboy set out to find the girl that had taken the book. She had gone east, but he lost her scent next to a bakery where the smell of cooking pastries was too strong to be able to smell anything else at all.

His weakness for anything sweet kicked in as he smelled the fragrant aroma of strawberry scones. He gave up his search and ran into the bakery.

…

Robin had headed west despite Beastboy's instance that the culprit had headed east. He wanted to cover all possible escape routes and had sent Raven south and Cyborg north. Start had flown ahead of Beastboy, going east to cover what he couldn't see from the ground.

Raven and Cyborg had both sent news that they hadn't found anything yet. Beastboy's message of having no luck had come while he had his mouth full of some pastry, so it seemed that the only hope they had left of finding the girl who stole the book was with Starfire who hadn't reported anything since they had split ways.

Robin was just about ready to give up. He decided that if Starfire didn't find anything within the next five minutes, then he would just call the search off. They didn't need to make such a big deal out of a stolen book and he had better things to do.


	5. Chapter 5

Starfire soared over buildings, looking down on Jump City, trying to find someone who looked guilty. She, too, was getting bored of looking. She gave her report to Robin:

"Robin, it is Starfire. I do not think that there is anyone to be found."

"Alright, Star, why don't you just head back home, we'll give up this search. As Raven said, it's just a book; the person who stole it was probably just desperate."

…

The said "desperate" person was still behind the dumpster.

She'd let her guard down, no one seemed to be coming. Though she hadn't begun to celebrate her victory yet, she did congratulate herself. She still had it, that criminal talent.

She opened the book up to the first chapter and began the story that she had been so eager to read.

…

"Robin, are you sure we should not do more searching?" Starfire asked him for the third time. "What if the book-stealer is just getting ready to steal something more important?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Star, there have been no reports of anything else happening since, let's just let her have the book. If she does something worse, we'll go find her. It's not like she's about to rob a bank."

…

Jinx stood in front of the bank, preparing to make her move. She had stolen the book easily enough; she needed to do something bigger now.

She promised herself: "This will be the last time, I'll change after this." She just really needed money, a way to start over.

She walked in casually and leaned against the withdraw counter.

"Hello sir," she greeted the young banker, "I'd like to make a withdraw."

"Of course, miss, I'll need to see your ID and have your bank account number."

"Oh, that won't be necessary."

"Why not?"

"Because, I'm robbing you." Her eyes flashed bright pink and she jumped back behind the counter towards the safe where the money was kept.

The banker pulled the alarm.


	6. Chapter 6

"Really," Cyborg cried in disbelief, "a bank!"

"It's probably the same person, too." Robin sat down, they had just returned to the Titans Tower and after not being able to catch the book thief, they were all feeling a little useless. It really wasn't even that big of a deal anyway, they'd blown it out of proportion. The only reason they had even responded was because the window had been hexed instead of simply smashed open.

No one was in the mood to go on another chase after their recent defeat.

"Can't we get someone else to take care of it," Beastboy whined, "I'm tired." He slumped down onto the couch as if to prove his point.

"No one else is around; we're the only ones close enough to the scene of the crime to handle it." Raven didn't seem eager to take on the baker robber either, but she made a good point.

"What about someone who could get here quickly, Robin? I just don't feel like any of us really wants to deal with someone who stole a single book before robbing a bank, it's just pointless." Cyborg looked tired, too. It probably hadn't helped that they had all stayed up all night last night. That was probably why everyone was in such a funk.

"That's it!" Cried Robin happily, "I'll just call Kid Flash to take care of it, he's good with this kind of thing and he hasn't had anything to do in a long time."


	7. Chapter 7

Kid Flash was sprawled on the couch eating an enormous sandwich when his communicator started beeping.

"Yeah?" He answered with his mouth full.

"Kid Flash, we have a job for you." Robin was using his determined leader face that had always bugged Kid Flash.

"I'm a little busy," he gestured to his half-finished sandwich, "why can't you do it."

"We're a little tied up." Robin smiled and gave Kid Flash the full view of his sleeping team. "We didn't get much sleep last night." He yawned a little too loudly.

"Okay then, what's up?"

"We've got someone who stole a book…"

"A book? You're kidding right, Robin, that's not that big of a deal, let the police handle it. Or better yet, just let the person keep the book, it's just a book."

"…And then robbed a bank." Robin finished.

"Oh"

"Can you take care of it?"

"Sure, I can handle that, no problem."

Kid Flash dashed off, dropping his sandwich on the counter as he left.


	8. Chapter 8

Jinx was feeling quite successful. She had just managed to rob a bookstore and a bank and no one seemed to be coming after her. Maybe quitting crime wasn't the best idea after all, she was good at it.

"I thought you were better than this, Jinx." Kid Flash stood right in front of her, a look of disapproval on his face.

When he had found out that Jinx had been the one committing the crimes he became seriously upset. He knew she could do better, he just wished that she knew that.

"Well, then you must not know me that well." Jinx was beginning to feel guilty in his presence as he glared at her. She tried to shake the feeling off.

"I do, and that's why I know you can do better. Now come with me." He began walking off and he gestured for her to follow.

"Why on earth do you think I would follow you?"

Kid Flash shrugged his shoulders and kept on walking. "Because, if you don't follow me, I'll have to carry you."

"What?"

And with that Kid flash grabbed Jinx in his arms and began running.

She couldn't hex Kid Flash because if she did he would drop her and if he dropped her, the effect would be the same as jumping off of a fast-moving train (probably worse).

The wind was too fast and she felt as though her stomach had been left behind and it couldn't catch up. What was only a second seemed to last forever.

Kid flash set her down outside of the bank she had just robbed. She immediately dropped to her hand and knees and would have begun vomiting if there had been anything in her stomach.

"That's strange," Kid Flash mused, "usually the people who I carry while I run throw up."

"I would, you idiot, except there's nothing for me to throw up."

"Why not?"

"When you left me yesterday after I left the hive Five, you left me with nothing. How am I supposed to do anything with nothing?"

Kid Flash knelt down beside her and gently stroked her hair. "I'm sorry; I should have never done that to you."

"So why did you take me here anyway?"

"You are going to return the money you stole."


	9. Chapter 9

"Don't you know anything about stealing? You can never ever give back what you stole, even if you're sorry. It doesn't work that way."

"That's no excuse, now come with me." His grip was incredibly strong. She aimed a hex at him, but he seemed to be expecting it. He dodged the hex and then grabbed her wrist again.

He pulled her into the bank with him. He walked up to the counter with Jinx in tow and said to the banker: "I beg your pardon, sir, but my friend here seems to have accidently stolen a large amount of your money." He flashed one of his charming smiles at Jinx.

"You imbecile, nobody "accidentally" steals anything." She struggled in his grip.

Kid Flash turned away from the banker and whispered: "You do, and you're going to fix it now. Give the banker the money."

"Are you insane? You seem pretty insane to me."

He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Yes I am insane. Now please return the money.

Her head was spinning. He had just kissed her. An embarrassing blush came to her cheeks and she found herself reaching into her pocket and pulling out all of the money she had stolen. She placed it on the counter. "Can we please go now?" she mumbled.


	10. Chapter 10

"Now, to the bookstore!" He pulled her across the street and into the store with the smashed window.

"This isn't right, Kid Flash! You're messing up my life!"

"Actually, I'm fixing it, now hand me the book."

"And why should I, it's just a book; it probably costs fifteen dollars at the most. It's not that big of a deal."

A look of sadness crossed his face. "It is to me. Jinx, if you want to change, you can't go around robbing banks and stealing books."

Jinx reluctantly pulled out the book. She had only read the first two chapters and she was feeling upset she wouldn't be able to finish it.

"Hey, is this the latest book in that spy series?" He grabbed the book from her, an excited glint in his eye.

She nodded.

"Oh my gosh, I love these books!" He walked her up to the cashier. "Hello my good sir, it appears that my friend here forgot to pay for this book. Would you mind telling me the price?"

"That one would be fourteen dollars and fifty-nine cents, kid."

Kid flash fished the money out of his pocket and put it on the counter. He then handed the book back to Jinx. "There, now it's all paid for."

Jinx took the book from him warily. "Can I go now?"

"No, we've got one more stop to make."

"WHAT!"

"You're going to apologize to Robin."


	11. Chapter 11

"You must be crazy; there is no way I'm apologizing to that no good, powerless do-gooder."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. When you apologize, you have to be sorry and I am in no way sorry for anything that I did today."

"You hurt me today, Jinx."

"What?" A look of shock crossed her face.

"I said you hurt me today. I thought you could do better and I thought you would try for me."

"Then I'm sorry for that. I had no intention of hurting someone who SHOULDN'T BE INVOLVED IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Her screams echoed through the empty street they stood on. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't want to cry in front of him.

"Oh Jinx." He leaned down and kissed her full on the lips.

She was surprised to find herself kissing him back.

"Now come on. This is the last thing, I promise." He picked her up and ran.

It wasn't as bad this time, now that she knew what to expect. It was like an amazingly fast roller coaster. Her mind was so dazed from the kiss that she could barely concentrate anyway.

He put her down in from of Titans Tower. "I assume it wasn't as bad the second time?"

She nodded and he grabbed her hand and walked her into the building.

"Robin," he called, "I've got someone here who wants to talk to you."

Robin raced down the stairs followed by Starfire.

Starfire gasped. "It is Jinx!"

"Yes it is and she's got something to say to you." Kid Flash pushed Jinx forward.

"I have nothing to say to any of them." Jinx whispered to Kid Flash. "Why can't we just let this go?"

"I don't think so." He whispered back. "You've got to apologize."

"This is ridiculous." She said out loud. "I'm not wasting my time here." She began to walk out.

Kid Flash raced after her. "If you won't do it for Robin, will you at least do it for me?" He kissed her again, more passionately this time.

She pushed him away. "Stop it; don't think you can kiss me just to make me do what you want."

"Please." He kissed her again.

"No." She pulled away from him.

"Jinx, please." He dropped down on his knees and looked up at her with a puppy-dog face.

"Fine, just stop doing that." She walked up to Robin. "I'm sorry, Robin. Now can we go?" She walked back to Kid flash who had gotten up off the floor and was smiling at her.

"Yes." He grabbed her hand and walked her out.

"So now what are we supposed to do?"

Kid Flash smiled because she had said we instead of I. "How about that book?"


End file.
